A School Referendum: SoWashCo883, Nov 7 2023
This post relates specifically and solely to a local school election in suburban St. Paul MN. It is my personal opinion, about my own school district: Dick Bernard
1. There are a large number of candidates for three school board seats. My personal preferred candidates:
MELINDA DOLS,
SATONIA MOORE
SIMI PATNAIK
These candidates, in my opinion, seem best prepared to support public education for all.
Here is an important link regarding the election, including candidate links, if submitted.
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(Personally, my entire life story has been immersed in public education. Both parents were career public school teachers; my career was public education; today, one grandson, and two daughters are in public education, two of the three in SoWashCo833.)
2. I recommend a YES vote on each of the three referendum questions, which have been carefully prepared based on existing and future needs. Here is the school district handout on the referendum election: Sowashco Referendum 2023 SD handout. NOTE THE HI-LITED PORTION AT THE BOTTOM OF BOTH PAGES. This school district link also includes an easy to follow tax calculator – how much the issues will cost on your tax bill.
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The 2023 referendum follows up on a failed referendum in August, 2022, in which roughly 10% of eligible voters voted yes; about 20% voted no; and about 70% did not vote at all.
Succinctly, another failure will only delay and make more expensive future similar questions. The needs will not go away.
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Personal Opinion:
Public Education is open to everyone;
It is inclusive and not exclusive;
In my opinion, the single most important function of “School” is to be the place where young people grow up, and learn skills to cope with the real world they will become part of.
Like every other institution of people, Public Schools are not perfect.
But Public Schools are essential to society at large, and they deserve and need our support.
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I cannot emphasize enough: in the last such election in #833, almost 70% of the eligible voters did not vote at all. This is our problem, not anyone elses responsibility.
Pass the word. There is 45 days till the election.
POSTSCRIPT: Here’s what I wrote after the August, 2022 referendum election in SoWashCo.
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